


I Know That You Know My Name

by maddiebug



Series: The Perfume Boy Debacle [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Confused Adrien Agreste, Crack, F/M, IDENTITY SHENANIGANS, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladybug is panicking, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27446149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddiebug/pseuds/maddiebug
Summary: When Chat Noir's identity is revealed to all of Paris, nothing matters, except that Ladybug saved him. She looked him in the eyes and kissed him....But after the many interactions they've had she doesn't even know his name?Perfume Boy, but from Adrien's Pov
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: The Perfume Boy Debacle [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005135
Comments: 16
Kudos: 207





	I Know That You Know My Name

**Author's Note:**

> Go read perfume boy for context but this probably works as a stand alone story.
> 
> Also slight warning: Adrien falls off the eiffel Tower (ladybugs catches him he's fine) but he thinks about death and that's not fun.

Adrien wasn't paying attention go his timer. 

He had used Cataclysm a while ago, but really thought he had enough time to defeat the akuma. 

He was wrong. 

Mid-leap, Honestia shot a magic laser at him, and his cat-like reflexes (get it haha) didn't work. 

He didn't even have time to flinch, before his magical costume disintegrated, and he lost his powers.

Along with his baton, which he was using to propel himself towards the fight.

Adrien lost the momentum he needed to land safely, and he suddenly started falling through the air. 

He felt like a cartoon character, walking on nothing, until he glanced down and succumbed to the pull of gravity. 

He didn't have time to really react, other than brief eye contact with Ladybug, but his heart was pounding in his chest. He tried his best to slow his breathing and relax, but nothing was working.

Adrien spread his arms and legs like a starfish, trying to use wind resistance in his favor. He probably looked like a jellyfish, arms and legs frantically flailing in every direction. 

(Man, if the Ladyblog was streaming, he definitely wanted to see the video later).

Logically, he knew that Ladybug would defeat the akuma and everything would be okay, but he would be in excruciating pain until then.

But it would be okay. Any injuries would be healed by her magic. It had brought people back before.

If he was lucky, he wouldn't remember how it felt.

He closed his eyes, and tried not to think about how it would feel to hit the concrete.

Not good, probably.

It would be a pretty _concrete_ injury.

A _rock solid_ landing. 

If nothing else, he could make some pretty solid jokes.

The air was cold and harsh against his arms. 

As Chat Noir, the magical suit had protected him from pretty much every discomfort, but he could feel the chill of the wind, blowing against him, whistling- roaring in his ears.

His hair whipped around his face, obscuring his view.

Not that he had anywhere to go except down.

And he didn't really want to look. 

Plagg was talking to him, saying something about cheese, but Darien wasn't listening. It was only a distraction from the inevitable.

Adrien knew he was getting closer to the ground.

He closed his eyes. 

They were watering, and he wasn't sure if it was the wind, or if he was crying. 

And then he was being held. 

Someone had caught him. Saved him.

Adrien opened his eyes to see Ladybug.

She saved him. 

He let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding, as Ladybug helped him stand on his own two feet.

His own shaky two feet.

The important thing was that he not a pancake on the sidewalk under the Eiffel Tower. He was alive

Ladybug had saved her partner.

A part of Adrien wanted to joke, _I just fell for you,_ but it seemed too soon.

Ladybug was still holding his hand, and gave it a little squeeze. He squeezed back, as if to reassure her, _I'm still here, you did it._

She looked up, where the akuma was strangely still. Staring at the two of them.

Adrien couldn't let the moment pass. 

He threw his arms around Ladybug, "Thank you Buggaboo." 

And it was just the two of them against the world. The two of them, holding on tight. 

Adrien knew that he started crying first, but when she pulled back, they both had cheeks stained with tears. 

Adrien looked at his partner. In the sunlight, she was glowing. She was his savior. Without her, he wouldn't be standing. Adrien couldn't thank her enough. He brought a single hand up to her cheek, "My lady...."

"I couldn't lose you again."

She didn't hesitate. Ladybug closed her eyes, and leaned towards his face.

It took a moment to realize what was going on. 

Adrien's brain didn't process the fact that Ladybug was kissing him. Ladybug. 

The girl of his dreams. 

His best friend and partner.

His hero.

The love of his life.

She kissed him.

And it felt right. 

It was just the two of them, kissing and holding each other tight. Adrien never wanted to let to.

Some cheers from the sidelines made Adrien snap back to reality.

Chloe, who had been watching the whole thing, was cheering at them. She made eye contact with Adrien, and didn't even seem mad. 

In fact, she looked a little smug.

Adrien looked a little to the left, and saw Alya and Nino, sitting on the ground together.

The camera was in Alya's hands, and she was frozen, staring at him. Nino looked weak, like he had just seen Adrien die.

Adrien offered them a weak smile, but they just kept staring.

Adrien didn't blame them. 

He wasn't processing everything either. 

The world was spinning and everything felt cold but he was okay. He was alive. 

His greatest secret was revealed, but Ladybug saved him.

And she kissed him.

Adrien turned back to his partner, to gauge her reaction.

There was a flash of recognition in her eyes. 

For a second, her face softened, and she had the adorable smile that she only had when talking about her boy.

The other boy.

But she was staring right at Adrien.

Was he the other boy?

Adrien leaned in for another kiss, and Ladybug-

Ladybug stepped back, and stared at Adrien for a second.

And her face went blank.

She adopted her emotionless "professional" Ladybug face.

He had no idea what she was thinking.

Adrien watched, as she squinted at him and blinked. Once. Twice.

The recognition was gone, replaced by confusion.

She knew him. She had to.

Ladybug had saved Adrien before. They had a special connection, or so he thought.

Ladybug stared, for less than a minute, before the confusion returned to her face. 

She tilted her head, and Adrien thought they were going to kiss again, as Ladybug looked Adrien up and down, and asked, "Perfume Boy?"

Adrien's heart skipped a beat.

He was faintly aware of Chloe cackling in the background. She would find something like this funny. 

Ladybug didn't even know his name?

That couldn't be right. 

They had talked. 

She had leapt off a building for him. 

But apparently, he was just another civilian.

That made things complicated. 

Secretly, he had hoped that Ladybug was someone he knew. Someone kind and caring, fiercely competitive, who didn't back down from a fight.

Someone like Marinette.

Maybe he had been dreaming a little too much. He had convinced himself that two of his best friends were the same person. 

His everyday Ladybug reminded him of actual Ladybug, in a way that no one else had. She made his heart flutter-

Marinette never would've looked at him with such a blank look.

She smiled whenever he walked into a room.

Ladybug didn't even know his name.

He was just perfume boy. 

A face from an advertisement. 

Adrien's entire world was spinning, a glass globe about to fall down and shatter, when Ladybug winked at him.

Winked. 

That had to mean something. 

The confusion was just an act.

She knew who he was.

Maybe she was Marinette. 

Or maybe not. 

He couldn't give himself too much hope. 

Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of Ladybug, as she swung back up towards the fight.

Somehow he found himself sitting on the ground. 

He was standing one minute, and on the ground the next.

And them he was being hugged.

So many hugs. 

Alya and Nino were the first to reach him.

Her camera had been turned off, and hung around her neck as they wrapped their arms around Adrien tightly.

Nino was shaking, his heart beating almost as fast as Adrien's. He looked at Adrien, and opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Dude..."

The three of them were sobbing together.

The rest of the class appeared, barricading Adrien from cameras and questioning adults. They didn't judge, didn't ask, protected him without question.

Of course they did. 

All of them had fought battles before.

They knew what it was like to go against Hawkmoth. 

Even Chloe, who hated showing weakness or physical affection, shed a tear. She threw her arms around Adrien, holding him fight for a moment, before letting him go.

"I can't lose you." She whispered. "You're the only family I've got."

Adrien cried harder at that. 

His friends, sans Marinette protected him from prying eyes. 

Kim and Ivan stood in front, blocking anyone's view. 

Alix kept jumping around like a bunny, fighting anyone that got to close. 

Everyone was there.

Everyone except Marinette.

And they stayed there. They stood by him, supporting him, hugging him, crying with him, as Ladybug fought Honestia.

They were there as magical Ladybugs flew around, and fixed all the damage.

They were there, right up until the moment that Ladybug swung down and picked him up.

"I think Perfume Boy and I need to talk." 

She swung them somewhere out if earshot, out of view, where they could talk freely. 

Somewhere that they could be together as they figured out what to do.

Ladybug hugged him again, this time for longer.

They both were quiet.

"Thank you for saving me."

"You'd do the same for me... Perfume Boy."

Adrien couldn't help it. He lost it. "Ladybug, what are you doing?"

"You're the kid from the Perfume Ads. Radient, Carefree, Dreamy. Adrien the fragrance."

He did a double take. "Its a little weird that you have that memorized, but I'm oddly flattered."

Her face was red. "I'm not like a crazy fan or anything, I just know the commercial."

"No." He agreed, "you aren't a crazy fan. You're a very good friend."

Then, just to be sure, he winked. 

She stiffened. "What?"

"We don't have to hide anymore, Ladybug."

"Perfume boy, I dont know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

"Nope. No idea." 

"Ladybug-"

"Sorry Perfume boy-"

He cut her off. "You don't need to call me Perfume Boy. I know that you know my name."

"I don't-"

"Adrien." He raised an eyebrow. "Like the fragrance."

"Oh." She nodded. "That makes sense."

"Yeah, but you already knew that, didn't you."

"No?"

"I know that you know my name," Adrien repeated, "because I know yours."

"But-"

"-Marinette." He whispered softly.

Ladybug blinked. "Okay, now I'm sure that I'm dreaming."


End file.
